The aim of History teaching at our school is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding of people that lived in the past. We teach the children a sense of chronology; through this they develop a sense of identity and cultural understanding based on their own heritage. Thus they learn to value their own and other cultures in modern multicultural Britain. This is achieved when children learn how others lived in the past. This knowledge will hopefully help children to make better choices in future life.
The aims of History are:
o To foster in children an interest in the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that History has to offer. To allow children to learn graphics skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps.
o To enable children to know about significant events in British history.
o To develop a sense of chronology.
o To know and understand how the British system of democratic government has developed, in doing so we contribute to a child’s citizenship education.
o To understand how Britain is part of the wider European culture.
o To have knowledge and understanding of historical development in the wider world.
o To help children understand society and their place within it to develop a sense of their cultural heritage.
o To develop children’s skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation.
Teaching and Learning Style
History teaching focuses on enabling children to think as historians. We place an emphasis on examining historical artefacts and primary resources. We recognise and value the importance of historical events. Children are to be taught as a whole class, in groups, individually and paired.
History Curriculum Planning
The National scheme of work is used for History as the basis for our curriculum planning in history. We ensure that there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit. As children move up school they are increasingly challenged through the planned built in progression in the schemes of work.
Curriculum planning in History is in three phases, long term, medium term and short term). The long-term plan maps the history topics studied in each term during each key stage. We teach the knowledge, skills and understanding set out in the National Curriculum through the corresponding programme of study.
Reviewed February 2009